There is simply no way to understand the massacre in Orlando without asking fundamental questions about our society, its various institutions, cultures and ideologies.

Hence, today’s program features a discussion concerning violence, guns, patriarchy, capitalism, civilization, homophobia, religion, militarism, racism, ecological devastation and how all of these things are inherently connected.

In the end, the government isn’t taking anyone’s guns in the U.S. There will be no “buy back” program. There will be no “confiscation efforts.” And there surely won’t be a “ban on assault weapons” in the near future. In the meantime, what are decent Americans to do?

More than ten years into a career in the academic ivory tower, McPherson turned his efforts on social criticism. These efforts continue, with climate change a primary focus of his current work. He is the author of Extinction Dialog. Today we talk about patriarchy and civilization.